Ogilvy’s Miles Young to chair US$5,000 Warc Prize for Asian Strategy

8 December, 2010

Miles Young, worldwide Chief Executive of Ogilvy & Mather, will lead the search for Asia’s best strategic thinking as chairman of judges in the inaugural Warc Prize for Asian Strategy.

Warc, the marketing intelligence service, is launching the $5,000 cash prize for the case study that demonstrates the most insightful marketing strategy in the region.

The Prize is free to enter, and is open to brand owners and agencies in any discipline. It will be judged by a panel of senior clients and global strategy experts, including executives from Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and BBH.

The Prize’s focus on insight and strategy complements existing award schemes in Asia, which reward creativity and effectiveness.

Young, who until 2009 was Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific, commented: “It is perverse but true that in parts of the world where growth rates are high that strategy is often the poor relative of tactics in business. And yet in a region such as Asia the most important thing seems to me to have a strategy for differential growth. It’s easy to grow; but how can we grow faster, and by how much, than our competitors?

“That’s why I believe that the Warc Prize for Asian Strategy is so very important. It is at present the one and only vehicle for really assessing the ability of businesses to grasp the true strategic challenges and for establishing the highest standards against which they can be measured.”

The case studies will appear on Warc’s global platform of marketing best practice, building a body of knowledge that will inspire Asian marketers and raise standards across the industry. They will be promoted in front of Warc’s audience of brand owners, agency executives, media owners and academics, and the winner will be published in Admap, the leading global magazine on new ideas and new thinking in brand communications.

Rufus Olins, Chief Executive of Warc, commented: “The world is watching the rapid growth of Asia with fascination. For Warc it is an increasingly important market and with the launch of this Prize we intend to shed some light on the new behaviours and best thinking in the region.”

The deadline for entries is 18 March 2011 and the winner will be announced in May.

The Warc Prize for Asian Strategy follows the launch of the global Warc Prize for Ideas and Evidence in January 2010. That Prize was chaired by Alex Bogusky, formerly of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

To find out more about the Prize, visit www.warc.com/asiaprize. For any other prize-related queries please email warcprizeasia@warc.com.

Why is Warc launching this award?

We believe brilliant strategic thinking is at the heart of the best marketing. It drives top-class creative, it inspires innovation in use of media, and it delivers real changes to client business. As part of Warc’s mission to provide ideas and evidence, we want to celebrate that link between strategy, marketing creativity and effectiveness. We want strategy to be seen to work.

We also believe that great thinking can come from anywhere: from client-side teams, from agencies of any discipline, from media owners. It can manifest itself in many ways, from communications campaigns to product innovation to partnerships. We want to showcase Asian strategy from any source and in any format; that’s why we will not charge for entry – the Prize is open to everybody.

In Asia, new markets and new consumers are demanding new insights. We want the Prize to act as a spur to strategic thinkers across the region. We want to create a body of evidence that will inspire them in the future, and to prove decisively that strategy is worth investing in.

What sort of marketing activity is relevant?

Anything based on sound strategy. This could be the launch of a new product. It could be a marketing ‘big idea’ based on fresh insight. Or it could be the innovative use of media. At the heart of the marketing programme must be new insight – whether it is insight into consumers, businesses or communications tools – leading to smart strategy. Entrants will be asked to show how this strategy was developed into marketing activity and what results it delivered.

Who will be judging the awards?

Led by Miles Young, worldwide Chief Executive of Ogilvy & Mather, the judging panel includes: Sumeet Vohra, General Manager, Asia Marketing, at Procter & Gamble; Reynold D’Silva, Global Brand Director for Skincare at Unilever; Gareth Kay, Director of Brand Strategy at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco; and Kevin Brown, Global Director of Engagement Planning at BBH. The full judging line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.

What are the benefits of entering?

The prize will give global recognition to the best in strategic thinking from Asia. It will allow agencies and clients to demonstrate that they understand Asian consumers and brands, and can use brilliant thinking to solve business challenges. Entrants will gain exposure online and in print, and the winner will receive a prize of US$5,000. What’s more, the resulting body of work will serve as proof for Asia’s client community that strategic planning can drive business performance.

In addition:

• There will be no entry fees, and no charges for attending a red carpet awards event. The only costs to entrants are from the time and effort of creating a high-quality entry. • The Prize is discipline-neutral. Entries can come from anybody able to demonstrate strategic thinking, regardless of industry, discipline or size of business. User Benefit: anyone in either an agency, client or media owner can enter. • Entry is online and easy. User Benefit: no need to send in multiple printed copies of entries, though creative work may need to be supplied separately depending on format.

What will entrants need to supply?

Entries will be case studies not exceeding 3,000 words, to be uploaded via the Prize website. Entrants are also encouraged to upload creative work and other supporting material. Full details of case study entry requirements are included in the Entry Kit, available at www.warc.com/asiaprize.

The deadline for entries is 18 March 2011.

Which markets are eligible?

The competition is open to all agencies and marketers operating in South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Entries are invited from markets including, but not limited to, India, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. Full details are included in the Entry Kit at www.warc.com/asiaprize.

About WarcWarc is the global provider of ideas and evidence to marketing people. Warc’s premium online service, www.warc.com, is the largest single source of intelligence for the marketing, advertising and media communities worldwide. Information on warc.com is drawn from more than 50 international sources. With subscribers in over 100 countries, it is a unique resource relied upon by major creative and media agency networks, market research companies, media owners, multinational advertisers and business schools, to help tackle any marketing challenge. In addition to the online service, Warc publishes five magazines, provides industry data and runs events.

Warc has long-standing partnerships with many of the world’s leading marketing authorities including the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Effies Worldwide, Advertising Research Foundation, American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Account Planning Group and bodies in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Warc Ltd is a privately-owned and independent company. www.warc.com

About Miles Young Miles joined Ogilvy in 1983, and in September 1995, he moved to Hong Kong to take up the position of Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific. Under his leadership, Ogilvy & Mather grew significantly in size and market share, and was repeatedly acknowledged as ‘Agency of the Year’ by Media magazine (now Campaign Asia). He assumed the position of CEO of Ogilvy & Mather worldwide in January 2009 and is based in New York. www.ogilvy.com